The Final Stop
by leeg22
Summary: *FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP* People have disappeared on the London Underground and UN.I.T have called in the Doctor to help. Amy's ill so it's just the Doctor and Rory with Colonel Felicity Jorgensen as strange goings-on start as the Final Stop approaches...
1. Chapter 1

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>It was a calm, quiet morning on the London Underground and there was a very good reason for this. The whole Underground had been closed, like it had been for the last 3 days. An entire city was having to make different travel arrangements due to the closing and this caused widespread criticism for the man in charge, Derek Roughly. A 45 year old man, Derek, who had very little hair left just walked along through the stations he was in charge of and couldn't believe how odd it was. His green reflective jacket was the only colour against the white brickwork around him. It felt like a ghost-town, and there was a good reason for this.<br>"The whole of London coming to a halt because of some stupid 'ghosts'..." moaned Derek to himself as he slowly walked along. His Scottish accent echoed all around as he then whistled a tune to stop the eerie silence that was developing around him. As the echo of his footsteps and whistling then faded into the distance, mutterings of voices began to send a chill everywhere around the Underground and then suddenly they were gone. The Underground fell silent once more and the eerie silence took control once again.

"But why can't I go?" grumped Amy to Rory and the Doctor from her bed with an extremely stuffy voice. "I've only got a cold...nothing deadly!" she added before sneezing very suddenly. The Doctor jerked back, almost in shock at her sudden sneeze. He could see Amy was quite pale, nothing too serious but she couldn't travel with him and Rory, atleast not today.  
>"Amy, its a cold from outer-space..." comforted Rory. "The Doctor says its best if you stay here..." added Rory. "Cold's from Zaina-Coop are apparently not nice, so just listen to the Doctor. He knows best!" Amy somehow didn't believe her own Husband and her face summed up her mood.<br>"Just because you're proper 'mates' now doesn't mean you have to abandon me..." moaned Amy even more. "I'm fine, I can prove that..." but as she tried to get out of the bed, she coughed and sneezed in rapid succession. Rory put her back in the bed and tucked her in tightly whilst the Doctor handed over a hot-water bottle to Amy for extra comfort.  
>"Now Amy, just stay in here...you'll be better by tomorrow..." promised Rory with a wide smile.<br>"He's right Amy..." agreed the Doctor. "Just rest..."  
>"Your Mum's coming anyway..." said Rory. "I invited her to come over and keep you company...The Cold won't spread to anyone else luckily so just rest and chat with her."<br>"Why can't you stay?" asked Amy before coughing very hoarsely.  
>"Because UN.I.T, well a Colonel Jorgensen requests my assistance for a little while..." answered the Doctor. "Its all to do with that business in the London Underground...of people going missing...I'm going along as an Advisor for them, as is Rory..." he continued. "We'll be back soon..."<br>"Ofcourse..." grumped Amy sarcastically. Rory then gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before he and the Doctor made their way. As they went downstairs, the front door opened and in came Tabetha Pond, Amy's Mum having used her own set of keys.  
>"Hello Mrs. Pond...how are we?" greeted Rory politely in his best Hospital manner of speaking.<br>"Oh, you know...good..." she replied before noticing the Doctor acting as awkward as ever. Tabetha still didn't know what to make of him. "I know you were Amy's 'imaginary' friend, but you've never really explained yourself...and that Blue Box...who are you?"  
>"I'm a friend..." said the Doctor simply before he made his way by Rory and Tabetha towards the TARDIS. Rory then just chatted with Tabetha for a few moments before the Doctor beckoned him to join him. As ever, when visiting the Ponds, the Doctor parked the TARDIS in the back garden and soon it began to roar into life. Tabetha was now by Amy's bedside and was just talking generally when she heard the whirring noise.<br>"Boys and their toys, I suppose..." she sighed as she and her Daughter then talked.

In the TARDIS, there was a distinctive lack of noise that was normally present when Amy was onboard. The Doctor and Rory couldn't quite believe what a difference it made not having her in here. Rory though wanted to know more about this Advisor role he was supposedly providing because he'd just been whisked away at the last moment without any real information on the matter. He didn't mind, but found it odd behaviour from the Doctor.  
>"Doctor, what are we advising UN.I.T on exactly?" he then asked as the TARDIS began to hum quietly.<br>"People have gone missing from the Underground..." began the Doctor. "This has happened so many times over so many years it is quite frankly unbelievable and UN.I.T just want the advice of a experienced man to try and guide them along. That experienced man being me and then I wanted my friend to join me, hence you coming along too. That's why the Underground is completely closed...its under their control, Rory. Besides, you didn't want to be bored brainless by a less-than healthy Amy whilst having to watch the enthralling Daytime TV. I've spared you from boredom Rory! Although, people going missing isn't boring..."  
>"But people go missing all the time..." said Rory. "Its hardly anything out of the ordinary, is it? Shouldn't the Police be investigating anyway?"<br>"That's what I said to Colonel Jorgensen, but she wanted us there despite this..."  
>"And who's Colonel Jorgensen?"<br>"Colonel Felicity Jorgensen..." began the Doctor as he loaded her profile onto the TARDIS monitor "...at only 26 became the youngest ever Colonel in UN.I.T history because of her great tactics and resilience in the face of adversity. She single-handedly fought off a Dalek, so I am quite impressed..." he added as the TARDIS then came to a halt. They had now arrived.

Colonel Jorgensen watched on proudly as the infamous Blue-Box known as the TARDIS appeared right before her. Her short, blonde bob made her look even younger than she actually was, so being a Colonel made her somewhat of a control freak compared to her more senior colleagues. She always liked to be in control but knew from the guidance of Colonel Range the Doctor wouldn't always listen to her. The TARDIS door then swung open and out popped the Doctor and Rory looking very surprised at how quiet the station was. King's Cross St. Pancras was normally bustling with activity, but being as quiet as it was certainly made the station seem eerie. The Doctor as ever looked so odd with his Tweed Jacket and big, tousled hair but his smile somewhat detracted from that. It was a very friendly smile. Rory, to the Colonel just looked very ordinary. A blue checked shirt and brown jacket made him look like any regular Underground commuter, not a Time-Travelling, Alien-Fighting heroic man but despite that he seemed nice.  
>"Rory Williams..." announced the Doctor proudly. "This is Colonel Felicity Jorgensen..."<br>"Pleasure to meet you..." replied the Colonel before saluting both Rory and the Doctor. "I take it you know the basic ins and outs of the issues Doctor and Mr. Williams...?"  
>"Yes, but people often go missing, Felicity..." said the Doctor. "That's what me and Rory couldn't work out exactly, why bring us here and why close down the whole of the Underground?"<br>"Why not have the Police involved too?" asked Rory. "They deal with Missing People...we don't..."  
>"Citizens are at risk, Doctor and Mr. Williams..." replied Colonel Jorgensen adamantly. "Yes, there is a gap between the disappearances, but we've had odd readings even since we came here. Spike readings usually for the line in operation run at 4.7 on our scale, but now they have all been giving readings of 7.9. That's hardly normal, is it Doctor?"she then asked. The Doctor just looked on surprised at the information the Colonel had given him as those results sounded very odd. Rory couldn't quite work it out either. He didn't know anything about Spike readings, but the high numbers didn't sound right.<br>"So, you're saying that something is involved in the disappearances?" he then asked.  
>"The readings would suggest so..." replied the Colonel as she looked at the Doctor who was scanning the area with his Sonic Screwdriver. His face told a story when he looked back.<br>"11.2..." he said simply.  
>"You're joking..." said a surprised Colonel. "11.2 is beyond what our parameters could ever cope with."<br>"So, I gather that whatever has been doing this is here now?" said Rory tentatively as he followed the Doctor and the Colonel.  
>"It must be..." said the Colonel.<br>"Not necessarily..." sighed the Doctor. "My Sonic could be fluctuating the results, but its highly unlikely..." he continued as he walked along. "Readings like this definitely suggest something off-world, but who knows? The Underground could simply just be cursed in some way..."  
>"Don't be ridiculous..." spouted the Colonel. "Curses are not what UN.I.T believe in..." she added just as a scream was heard in the distance. It was a man's scream and the Doctor instinctively ran towards it.<br>"What's happening, Doctor?" asked Rory as he tried to catch up.  
>"Something very strange indeed..." replied the Doctor as the chase began.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 2

* * *

><p>"Are you ok?" asked the Doctor urgently as he found a middle-aged man on the floor of the station with a deep gash along his head. It was bleeding hard and Rory used the man's reflective jacket as a bandage for the time being. The man though didn't look to happy with the help he'd received.<br>"You can leave me alone..." he said as he got up. "Its just a cut..."  
>"It's a wound..." said the Doctor.<br>"If you don't get this treated, you don't know what will happen..." said Rory taking a serious tone. "I'm a Nurse, I should know this stuff..."  
>"Pah..." shrugged the man. "I take it your the people hoping to solve these issues here at the Underground. I could hear you a little earlier. My name's Derek..." he then introduced with deep Glaswegian tones throughout before taking a hold of his temporary bandage.<br>"Colonel Felicity Jorgensen..." introduced the Colonel. "Derek Roughly isn't it?"  
>"Yes..." replied Derek simply. "Now, if you don't mind I'm going back to my office...I'm de-cluttering since I've got nothing else to do because of these poxy ghosts!"<br>"I think its more than just ghosts, Mr. Roughly..." said the Doctor. "There's something strange happening here..."  
>"Yeah, there's no trains around for a start!" brooded Derek before he huffily left. The Colonel, Rory and the Doctor weren't sure how Derek had got his wound, but apart from that he seemed completely oblivious to the buzzing noise that was emanating from within the station.<br>"Electrical pulses...or something like that..." muttered Felicity to the Doctor.  
>"No, its something much more obvious..." he muttered back. Rory began to walk around the station to gauge where this noise was coming from and eventually he realised.<br>"It's the tracks!" he called back to the Doctor. "Listen!" The Doctor and Colonel Jorgensen joined by his side and listened closely. They all agreed that the tracks were active.  
>"But this place is shut down!" said the Colonel. "The only electricity on here is to the lights...not the rails!"<br>"Then how do you explain that?" pointed the Doctor to the fast-moving Underground train that was rocketing by which created a big gust of breeze with it. The Colonel simply couldn't believe what was happening and neither could the Doctor. Then, Rory noticed something.  
>"Oh my god...someone's on the line!" he said and pointed the person out. It appeared to be a frail woman who was standing in the middle of the tracks. Arms spread out like the Angel of the North she waited for the train to collide into her.<br>"NO!" cried out the Doctor, but he needn't worry as the train then came to a sudden halt just before the woman. It screeched loudly and hissed in anger at being cut short like that at such speeds. The woman didn't look pleased at all though. The Doctor, Colonel Jorgensen and Rory just sighed with relief...

"It's Una..." brooded Derek angrily after he'd been called back by Colonel Jorgensen. "She can't let go of her Sister for heaven's sake..."  
>"I take it her Sister went missing on the Underground?" asked the Doctor.<br>"I assume so..." replied Derek before making his way over to Una. She was being helped up by Rory and despite looking ever so frail, she couldn't have been older than early 50's at most. "Una, you know the rules, get out of here now or I report you to the Police! Last time was the final warning!"  
>"You can lay off her for a moment..." said Rory before glaring at Derek whose wound had stopped bleeding but was most certainly now dominating his face. The Doctor joined Rory with Una and probed her about what she was doing on the rails.<br>"I want to be back with Irma..." she said simply. "The Corset Sisters can't be separated for any longer...12 years is long enough..."  
>"12 years? That's when Irma vanished I guess?" cut in Colonel Jorgensen who'd joined them by now.<br>"Yes...Irma Corset...she was a high-flying Businesswoman...the best of the best, took the Tube everyday and then she never came back. He knows what happened..." continued Una pointing towards Derek.  
>"She's do-lally - broken in the mind!" he spouted back. "She shouldn't even be here. She broke your barricade Colonel!"<br>"Hmmm...she did..." agreed Felicity before reaching to her communicator. "Julian, make your way down here now and assign someone else more capable to your area. Be quick!"  
>"Who's Julian?" asked the Doctor but Felicity didn't have to reply as he came into view. Stumbling down the stairs a little, the UN.I.T officer soon joined up with everyone and introduced himself.<br>"Captain Julian Albatross..." he smiled. He certainly looked younger than Felicity but he soon revealed that he was 33, so he just had one of those youthful faces. He seemed nervous, but competent at that.  
>"Una..." began the Doctor once more. "What do you think took Irma exactly? Because surely it can't be a person with so many similar occurrences happening..."<br>"I don't know what to think..." she said simply before keeling over suddenly.  
>"Una..." said the Doctor anxiously. Rory immediately came over to check on her. He took over whilst the Doctor was sure he'd seen something in the corner of his eye in the stopped train. "Colonel!" he beckoned. "Care to join me?" he said as he rushed off to the train. Felicity soon joined him and had her gun at the ready. Julian meanwhile tried to help out Rory but he could see he was more than capable on his own. Meanwhile, as the Doctor and the Colonel looked around the stopped train, the Doctor was sure he'd seen something else again.<br>"What did you see?" asked Felicity.  
>"A shimmer of life...something different, something definitely off-world..." replied the Doctor as he searched round. Entering one of the carriages, the Colonel and himself looked around until the shimmer suddenly came into existence once more.<br>"Stay still!" cried the Colonel. "This could kill you, whatever you are!"  
>"Put the gun down, Felicity..." ordered the Doctor as he then got out his Sonic Screwdriver. He pointed it at the shimmer and soon a life-form appeared before them both without the Doctor even having to activate his trusty device.<br>"What the hell is that?" said a wide-eyed Colonel.  
>"That is an I-Ox..." smiled the Doctor.<p>

"Take that away Julian immediately...take it to the base and make sure its asked what needs to be done!" commanded Colonel Jorgensen to Captain Albatross. He complied as he led the I-Ox away. According to the Doctor, it was most certainly not the cause of the disappearances. Half-Human, Half-Ox, an I-Ox is apparently a Tourist Alien. They watch certain events in time with pleasure and regard themselves as the most travelled beings in all of time.  
>"That was in no way to do with this then, Doctor?" asked Rory as he looked at the I-Ox being taken away. He quickly glanced at Una who was now back with everyone. It seemed like she'd momentarily blacked out for no reason but she was now sitting on one of the station seats re-cooperating.<br>"No, the I-Ox was just a spectator, like you or me..." replied the Doctor before heading towards the TARDIS. Colonel Jorgensen saw him and immediately tried to stop him.  
>"Where do you think you're going?" she asked indignantly.<br>"Board meeting...sorry..." replied the Doctor before beckoning Rory over and into the TARDIS.

"Why have you brought me in here, Doctor?" asked Rory as he could see the Doctor was somewhat frustrated. His kicked the seat by the centre console and then lashed out at some of the controls, but they did nothing.  
>"I suggest we leave..." said the Doctor with a scowl on his face. "Were getting too attached to this already. I know I can't prevent that happening, but UN.I.T is more than qualified here. You even said the Police should be here and they aren't, so I'm wondering what exactly is going on? And to be honest, Rory, I don't think we should even be here."<br>"So, you're going to abandon them like you did with me, Amy and River on HMS Defender?" asked Rory furiously. "I lost a lot of respect for you on that day. Yes, you've earnt it back but boy you know how to wreck progress..."  
>"Progress?" spouted the Doctor. "I haven't seen any whatsoever...and they will be fine without us! I'll take us Golfing, that'll make up for it!"<br>"No..." said Rory adamantly. "We're staying..."  
>"My decision is final Rory..." said the Doctor but as he was about to flick the controls of the TARDIS into life, the TARDIS door swung open and in came Colonel Jorgensen. She didn't seem fazed by the 'bigger on the inside' part of the Time-Machine at all and just focused on what she'd come in for.<br>"Una's having a seizure of some sorts..." she said. "Mr. Williams, take over now..." she commanded. Rory immediately rushed outside to see Una shaking uncontrollably and completely unaware of what she was doing.  
>"Doctor!" called Rory and soon the Doctor came out to help. Captain Albatross and Derek were doing all they could to hold Una down, but she was flinching everywhere and then suddenly it stopped.<br>"The night rise..." she then said.  
>"The what?" said Rory.<br>"The night rise..." repeated Una. "The night rise will come and in that will arrive the beast..."  
>"Beast? What beast, Una?" asked the Doctor trying to get inside her mind, but he was struggling. "UNA!"<br>"The beast rides the rails...the rails of life..." said Una with eyes now completely white.  
>"Oh my god..." cried Colonel Jorgensen.<br>"The rails of life signify all those who disappeared...you cannot deny its arrival..." continued Una in her trance-like state. No-one could understand what was happening to her and it seemingly wouldn't stop.  
>"Doctor, what the hell's happening to her?" asked Rory urgently.<br>"I told you she was mad!" said Derek.  
>"Keep quiet!" demanded the Doctor as he tried once more to get into Una's mind but again he was without luck. Una's eyes then closed and blood began to trickle from her nose before she spoke once more.<br>"The final stop is coming for the beast of the rails..." she said almost majestically. "The final stop is coming...and then everyone dies!"


	3. Chapter 3

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 3

* * *

><p>Una was still in an uncontrollable state as both Rory and the Doctor held her trying to calm her down and then suddenly she stopped moving altogether once more. It was as if she'd died in that moment and her body froze into its final position.<br>"She's still alive..." said the Doctor thankfully as he frantically checked her over. "Just unconscious again..."  
>"What the hell happened though?" asked Rory.<br>"Possessed...probably..." replied the Doctor. "Something got a hold of her though..."  
>"Pah!" cut in Derek. "She's loopy in the mind! Nothing special about her, just take her away..." The Doctor simply couldn't take anymore of Derek's thoughtless remarks and immediately made his point clear to him.<br>"Mr Roughly, I don't care what you think but without a doubt something strange is happening here...something not from here. Una _was_ possessed, fact – and I think that while this place is closed, UN.I.T are in control, not you..." he spouted towards Derek who just simply stared back menacingly.  
>"But what would be 'possessing' her exactly?" quizzed the Colonel. "Spike readings didn't increase at all when she was possessed. So, what is it?"<br>"I think we need to look a little closer at the rails themselves..." answered the Doctor. "Come along!"

The Doctor, Rory, Colonel Jorgensen and Captain Albatross soon stepped down onto the rails. Power had been switched off and the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver ensured that for atleast half an hour. It was certainly enough time to have a good look around.  
>"So, what are we looking for?" asked Captain Albatross. "Alien technology?"<br>"Well, anything that isn't usual..." replied the Doctor as he scanned the area with his Sonic. Colonel Jorgensen took out her Spike reading analyser and continued on looking around. Rory just looked closely at the ballast between the rails to find anything that didn't tally up. To him, it was the best he could do around such professionals.  
>"This is going to be harder then we thought..." he muttered to himself before reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out a pair of glasses. The Doctor immediately noticed and couldn't help but laugh.<br>"You wear glasses?" he said smiling widely. "I mean more than just that once in America..."  
>"Only from time to time..." said Rory. "Just thought they might help the search..." he added raising an eyebrow to the Doctor. Moments later it appeared that Rory's glassed did indeed help. Rory noticed that between the ballast there were the odd glistening specks of something. It looked like little Diamonds, but he couldn't be sure. "Doctor...is this anything unusual?" he asked. The Doctor came over and took a very close look. Colonel Jorgensen and her Spike analyser went off the scale when she pointed it towards the Diamonds and this immediately raised questions.<br>"I imagine that's a good clue to who's doing this?" she asked to the Doctor. He was looking very closely at the Diamonds and even borrowed Rory's glasses for an even finer look at the detail. Rory just sighed knowing he'd get them back but probably not in as good a condition as when he had them moments earlier.  
>"It's a Landrossos Crystal..." began the Doctor. "Found in the Everglades of Landrosk Delta Region itself..."<br>"Right, and what would have these Landrossos Crystals then?" asked Rory. "Does it give away who it is?"  
>"No..." said the Doctor. He carried on speaking but was being drowned out by a humming noise. It got progressively louder and louder and then suddenly it dawned on everyone where it was coming from.<br>"Oh my God...the rails are back in action!" cried Colonel Jorgensen. The Doctor immediately tried his Sonic to disable them again, but it didn't work.  
>"Everyone get back up!" he then cried and everyone complied. Frantically they rushed up as quick as they could and hauled themselves back onto the station platform just as another train thundered through. Everyone could only look on in horror as the second train just smashed into the first train which was still where it had stopped. Glass shattered everywhere and bits of Underground trains flew all around. Again, like the first train, there appeared to be no-one in control of the second train and the puzzling situation wasn't helped when Captain Albatross decided to look around the wreckage.<br>"Julian, stay back!" commanded Felicity but the Captain ignored her. Despite all the damage the trains had suffered the automatic doors opened of their own accord and now with a torch in hand, the Captain walked around the smoking wreckage. The Doctor was determined to stop Julian, but both the Colonel and Rory stopped him.  
>"We need you here..." said Rory.<br>"He's not safe in there..." protested the Doctor. "You just can't leave him...you don't know what's in there..."  
>"Captain Albatross is a trustworthy man..." said Colonel Jorgensen. "He is more than capable to survey a train carriage on his own...although I'd rather he didn't." but as the Colonel spoke, the carriage door suddenly closed shut. Captain Albatross turned round and was a little spooked by it.<br>"Ok, a little odd..." he said to himself. "Julian, its nothing to worry about...its just an automatic door...they close on their own...that's normal..." but again something strange was happening. The lights in the carriage began to switch on and Julian couldn't work out what was happening. Outside of the carriage though, Una was giving everyone else a clue.  
>"The final stop is coming for the beast of the rails..."she muttered to herself as she suddenly sat upright with her eyes yet again as pale as before. Derek, who was watching her closely couldn't contend with another moment of her supposed 'madness' and just ran for his office.<br>"Get away you mad woman!" he cried before vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile, the Doctor began to work out what was happening with Captain Albatross and the empty Underground train.  
>"Oh dear..." he said. "He won't stand a chance."<br>"Why, what's happening?" asked Rory, but the Doctor didn't need to answer as suddenly the humming noise of the rails and that of the train began to roar back into life. The train was about to move. Colonel Jorgensen had worked out what was happening and immediately rushed over. She tried to prise open the doors, but they wouldn't budge.  
>"JULIAN!" she cried as he frantically tried to get out, but he couldn't. Nothing would give way and the Doctor knew that, and Rory could sense it aswell. Behind them, Una was just repeating herself endlessly and couldn't stop, but the main focus was now on Julian.<br>"Tell everyone I'll be alright..." said Julian to Felicity but she could barely hear him as the humming noise of the train drowned him out. Suddenly it moved forward pulling along itself and pushing the first train down the line all on its own. No-one dared follow the train as the lines were fizzing and crackling with energy that sent the Colonel's Spike analyser off the scale.  
>"Keep back!" called the Doctor as he then pulled Felicity away. She was quite clearly emotional from it all and simply couldn't hold back on a little weep. All of this was happening way too soon in her UN.I.T career and nothing had ever prepared her for instances like this.<br>"What's going to happen to him, Doctor?" she eventually managed to ask.  
>"I don't know..." he replied. "He's probably just going along to the next station...whichever that is..."<br>"Farringdon..." filled in Felicity. "Are you sure he'll be ok?"  
>"Definitely..." said the Doctor but as he looked upto Rory, his face told a different story, one of uncertainty. The noise of the trains had now long gone, and Una had again fallen back into an unconscious state, but Rory thought he could hear the train once more. So, he ventured towards the platform and was shocked to see the train edging back towards where it had stopped.<br>"Doctor!" he called. "You've got to see this..." The Doctor and Felicity soon rushed over and saw the train Julian had got trapped in had now returned. Julian though wasn't there. The only thing that was there was his UN.I.T hat.  
>"Oh my God..." said Felicity before breaking down into a sob once more at what she seemingly thought was what was left of Julian. Things weren't helped by a sudden flash of what appeared to be lightning further down the line and then came a scream, a scream that could only belong to Julian himself.<br>"The final stop is coming for the beast of the rails..." muttered the Doctor to himself.  
>"Indeed..." hissed Una. Everyone turned round to see Una now standing and making her way towards them. "...and it will rise and terminate all life that needn't exist!" she carried on before she seemingly vanished in a flash of lightning...<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>Derek Roughly sat solemnly in his office with a glassful of Scotch at the ready. The wound down the side of his face still hurt like mad, but he didn't want to accept that that Nurse was correct. He was a very traditionalist man and having Male Nurses wasn't something he was widely accepting of. He didn't even come across as a Nurse to Derek, especially in the way he was dressed. He just supposed that was the way of the modern world, one that he simply chose not to keep up with.<br>"This...cannot...be...happening..." he said before taking a huge swig of Scotch. "People disappeared, its nothing amazing...nothing out of the ordinary!" he added before throwing his glass at his office wall. The glass shattered and the remaining Scotch dripped all around. Derek didn't care about the mess he'd made as he had definitely had enough, but he knew that the Doctor, that Nurse and the Colonel were most certainly not done yet.

"Is he dead, Doctor?" asked a still emotional Colonel Jorgensen referring to Captain Albatross. There had been no signs that he was alive and this plagued everyone's mind. The Doctor didn't have to answer and just gave a face that simply read 'possibly'. No-one could know and that's what was bothering the Doctor the most.  
>"Landrossos Crystals originate from peaceful races..." he said to himself. "If this is all happening, why would these be here?"<br>"It could be a lone, rogue fighter..." suggested Rory. "Hell-bent on going against their origins..."  
>"Or it could just be a ploy..." said the Doctor. "A trap. These Landrossos Crystals may not have any significance whatsoever to what has happened, and that's just reminded me of something..."<br>"And what's that?" asked Rory.  
>"I haven't asked the basics yet..." smiled the Doctor before turning to Felicity. By now, her tears had gone, but she was still emotional. "Felicity, I never asked what was the gap between these latest disappearances and the ones before then?"<br>"12 years..." she eventually replied before stifling more tears. "Irma, Una's Sister, was the last reported missing from the last 'batch', if you can call it a batch."  
>"And before that?" asked the Doctor.<br>"12 years again..." replied the Colonel. Rory just looked on surprised.  
>"I guess the gap before that was 12 years aswell..." he said with a smile. The Colonel nodded. "Well, Doctor whatever is doing this is acting in a pattern..."<br>"True, its hardly a coincidence.." pondered the Doctor. "But what would do such a thing? Hunting off in a weird gap of time like that...it doesn't make sense..."  
>"It's 12 <em>Earth<em> years though Doctor..." pointed out Felicity. "That gap could be much bigger or much less for them..."  
>"Ofcourse..." smiled the Doctor. "Ofcourse!" he repeated before slapping himself on the forehead. "Oh, I've been an idiot. These Landrossos Crystals are much more than just regular Landrossos Crystals..."<br>"Well, what are they then?" asked Rory.  
>"Bait..." replied the Doctor simply.<p>

Whilst the Doctor, Rory and the Colonel were talking over the Landrossos Crystals, Una awoke to find that she was on the rails of the Underground. However, she hadn't chosen to be here like before. That weird flash of lightning has put her here for some reason. Whatever had happened to her since the Doctor had arrived was bizarre, but it had invigorated her by some margin. She felt young once more as if the previous 12 years of hurt had vanished in an instant. As she then walked along the tracks, Una began to hear voices along the way. Echoes and whispers dogged her mind as she heard men, women and children all speak. They weren't crying out for help, they were just chatting, and then Una heard a very familiar voice.  
>"Don't tell Mother and Father what happened to me, Una..." spoke the voice of Irma before fading altogether. Una was just in complete shock and her world spun around her. She was beginning to feel dizzy and then in the distance, she saw two lights coming towards her. They were approaching fast and then all went black...<p>

"So these Landrossos Crystals were just a ploy then?" asked Rory as the Doctor started to sonic them and try and gauge their origin of intention.  
>"Whoever had them was sending out a signal. They could have been doing this since the very first disappearance. Slowly, but surely dotting Landrossos Crystals about as a means of hinting..." said the Doctor as the Colonel just looked on.<br>"Now, I know you're an alien, Doctor, but does he always talk like this, Mr. Williams?" she asked.  
>"Yeah, pretty much..." replied Rory. "Please, just call me Rory...Mr. Williams sounds like a Dentist..."<br>"Nothing wrong with Dentists..." muttered the Doctor. "Well, apart from the one that tried to take Rory's nose..."  
>"He really didn't have a clue with what he was doing..." smiled Rory.<br>"Well unless he was secretly a _Nosetist_..." joked the Doctor before even doubting such a word existed.  
>"I take it that that happened out in the stars?" quizzed Felicity.<br>"Yes.." said Rory simply. "Although it could have been on Earth. Would have been odd if it had though..."  
>"How long have you been travelling with him?"<br>"Ooh..." thought Rory out aloud. "I don't actually know...you lose track of time so easily. I find that strangely funny when you're travelling in a Time Machine of all things..."  
>"I imagine its brilliant out there..." smiled Felicity looking out above her.<br>"Beyond your imagination, Colonel..."  
>"Please, call me Flick..." she then smiled.<br>"Flick?" muttered the Doctor with the Sonic Screwdriver now being held between his teeth. "I thought you were called Felicity..."  
>"Flick is the name I allow people to call me by if I trust them..." explained Felicity.<br>"And why would you let us call you Flick?" asked the Doctor completely oblivious to the Colonel's point.  
>"I trust you Doctor, and you too Rory..." she then sighed. "Being a Colonel at such a young age makes you so many enemies...its just nice to have friends, or people I can rely on. When Leonard, <em>Colonel Range<em> said you were coming as an advisor, I just couldn't wait, Doctor. You and the stories are just magnificent. I know you don't regard UN.I.T highly, but we regard you with so much significance." The Doctor and Rory just looked on and smiled. They knew Flick was a good person at heart, but her inexperience was what was letting her down. The Doctor knew it would come in time, but he knew she was a Colonel way too soon. After a bit more scanning from the Sonic, the Landrossos Crystals suddenly began to sparkle in a bright yellow hue. The Doctor could only smile.  
>"What is it? What's happening?" asked Rory.<br>"Oh...Rory...Flick, how can I put it simply..." he began. "Whatever did this, is very, very close by..."

Meanwhile, in his office, an angry Derek was interrupted by a knocking on his door. It knocked loudly and then its knock broke through the very old green wooden door he'd had on his office for years.  
>"What the hell?" Derek said before making his way to the door. Upon opening, there was nothing there. There was no sign that anything had ever been there. "Strange..." he said to himself as he then turned around. There he was met by the sight of something beyond imagination. It put out its hand-like claw, which in part looked more like a hoof and grabbed a hold of Derek. Whatever it was, it never spoke, but it just stared at Derek and then gruffed loudly. Then, the pair of them vanished without a trace leaving his office completely empty.<p>

"How close is this _thing_?" asked Flick as the Doctor ran around the station platform with his Sonic Screwdriver which was giving off a very odd noise indeed.  
>"Not that far..." he replied. "But its closer to Farringdon than it is to here..."<br>"Well, that's no use..." said Flick. "How are we meant to get there?" The Doctor just smiled and soon Rory latched onto the idea.  
>"Oh..." he said. "There's our transport..."<br>"The train?" said Flick. "Julian disappeared in that."  
>"We won't..." said the Doctor as he then got aboard. "Come along Rory and Flick. Next stop Farringdon!"<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>As the train creaked to a halt, the Doctor, Rory and Flick warily got off unsure of what exactly to expect. Like its predecessor along the Underground, Farringdon was just as empty. Somehow though, it felt more eerie and spooky than King's Cross St. Pancras, and no-one could explain why. It just had that feeling about it, and not a good one at that.<br>"Hmm..." sighed the Doctor. "The signal's weakened as soon as we got off the train..."  
>"I guess that suggests something about these trains then?" said Flick. "Was that a ploy aswell, do you think?"<br>"It would seem so..." replied the Doctor as he saw Rory looking down at the tracks in horror.  
>"Oh my God..." he said simply as he noticed something on the tracks just ahead of the train. The Doctor and Flick soon looked over and immediately saw lying there lifeless was Una.<br>"Oh dear God...please do not say we hit her..." mumbled Flick to herself. "I can't bear the thought of that..." The Doctor didn't look convinced at all though with Una's body seemingly lying on the tracks like it was. In the short time he'd known her, he didn't think she'd try something as risky as this again, but he'd obviously been proven wrong. Taking a closer look, with the added help of Rory's glasses once more, the Doctor then began to notice something very strange about Una's body.  
>"It's not her..." he then concluded.<br>"How can it not be her?" asked Rory. "You can clearly see that its Una..."  
>"Its <em>a<em> Una..." replied the Doctor. "Not a clone or a copy...but a Semi-Ghost of Una..."  
>"A Semi-Ghost?" said Flick. "Now I've heard everything..."<br>"So was that really Una we were talking to not that long ago?" asked Rory who'd now joined the Doctor by his side. The Doctor took a while to think through his answer as he wasn't all that sure himself.  
>"A Semi-Ghost is the inbetween stage of death and a ghost..." began the Doctor.<br>"But you don't believe in Ghosts?" cut in Rory.  
>"For the benefit of you and Flick, they are Ghosts...They are far much more than 'ghosts', but for you two, I'll call them that!" replied the Doctor. "A Semi-Ghost holds roughly the last 9-10 Months worth of knowledge and memories of the deceased and acts in a way to keep them going. Keeping them in society for as long as possible..."<br>"So, Una's been dead a little while then?" asked Flick. "I'll just have to check this out..." she added as she then spoke into her communicator. "Boys, I need you to check out on the possible obituary of a Una Corset..."  
>"Can we ask why, Ma'am?" came the reply.<br>"Don't Ma'am me..." retorted Flick taking her commanding tone once more. "Just do as I say..."  
>"Yes Ma'am..." came the voice before the communication ended. Taking it all in, the Doctor, Rory and Flick just had a breather for a moment or two and then when they looked back in the direction of where Una's 'body' was, it had suddenly disappeared. The Semi-Ghost had either moved or vanished.<br>"That's not right..." said Rory as it most certainly wasn't...

"What the hell are you?" asked Derek after he awoke after his sudden disappearance some time earlier from his office. Whatever the thing was infront of him, it wasn't in the mood for talking. Derek didn't even know if it could talk, so this was a worry. The only thing he could compare it to in appearance was that of the _Gruffalo_, but Derek knew it was a children's story. He'd read that to his children when they were younger, so how could something so similar in appearance be real?  
>"You...are...human..." spoke the beast suddenly infront of Derek as it lauded over him. Its fur hid most of its monstrous features but the eerie voice terrified Derek to the core.<br>"I am indeed..." said Derek quickly to keep on the beast's side.  
>"You...are...perishable..." continued the beast eerily as Derek could only look on in horror.<p>

The puzzle of Una's 'body' going missing as it had was now another question for the Doctor to ponder over. The main issue though was still the Landrossos Crystals and ofcourse where had Captain Albatross gone. The Doctor's priorities were obviously different to those of Flick's, but he knew getting him back, whether it was sooner or later would still be appreciated. Then, his Sonic picked up a signal again.  
>"Were back in business!" he smiled widely as soon ran down the platform where coming towards him was Derek. Rory and Flick couldn't work this out either. They tried to gain Derek's attention but he passed by as if they weren't there. He was running fast and then the three of them heard pounding footsteps seemingly chasing after him, but there was nothing else to be seen.<br>"What the hell is doing that?" asked Rory. "And why can't we see it?" The Doctor immediately racked his brains and got out one of the Landrossos Crystals from his jacket pocket and saw that it had changed colour.  
>"The colour of a Fairytale..." he muttered to himself. "Hmmm...interesting..."<br>"The what?" asked Flick. "Why's it changed colour?"  
>"Oh, because its fab, Flick!" smiled the Doctor. "Brilliant, infact! When the being whose done all this passed by the Crystals, they attached to its soul and changed to its colours. The Midnight Purples and Hues of another Realm can only mean its one being..."<br>"And what's that?" asked Rory.  
>"The Langhorn..." smiled the Doctor. "The Fairytale Beast!" he added before he started to chase the thumping footsteps.<p>

"You...are...perishable..." repeated the Langhorn once more as it chased after Derek. He couldn't keep the chase up for much longer but insisted on carrying on so that in his own mind, he'd done his best. As he'd passed through Farringdon station, he was sure there were people trying to get his attention, but he couldn't be certain. He thought that in the rush of all things, his mind was playing tricks on him.  
>"Why is this happening to me?" he said. "Why not pick on Una? She deserved this! You took her stupid Sister, now take her!"<br>"You...are...perishable..." spouted the Langhorn once more. "You...are...most certainly...perishable..."

"What the hell is a Langhorn, Doctor?" asked Flick as she struggled to keep up with the Doctor and Rory who were chasing the thunderous footsteps very fast.  
>"It creates Mythical Worlds...alternate Realities...stores life-forms in them and leaves them to die..." he replied as his Sonic bleeped louder and louder with each footstep forward.<br>"Why does it do that though?" asked Rory as he breathed heavily throughout the run.  
>"Because that's its job!" said the Doctor. "Its doing as its told! Albeit by how hungry it is..."<br>"Does that explain the 12 year gap then?" panted Flick as she was really struggling to catch up by now. Despite being only 26, and the Doctor and Rory presumably being older than her, Flick had never been that energetic. Being a Colonel doesn't help matters as a lot of the time she's sitting down planning strategies and not actually taking part. She was enjoying all this action, but was shocked at how much it was affecting her.  
>"I think that explains it all!" smiled the Doctor as the chase suddenly came to a halt. Flick had to be careful that she didn't collide into the back of the Doctor through his sudden stop. Rory almost tumbled over until the Doctor pulled him back.<br>"Why have we stopped?" panted Rory as he tried to regain his breath. The Doctor took a moment to reply.  
>"Because the Langhorn is just there...covered by a Shimmer...just like the I-Ox..." he said. "...but with something like a Sonic Screwdriver, I can easily get rid of that!" and as the Sonic glowed green, the true detail of the Langhorn came into existence. It was extremely similar in appearance to a <em>Gruffalo<em> and none of them really knew what to make of it. With its protective Shimmer now gone, the Langhorn turned round and regarded those who had removed its shield from most of Earth's society. It grunted loudly before slowly making its way towards the Doctor, Rory and Flick.  
>"You...are...perishable...You...are...perishable..." it began to chant.<br>"Oh my God..." cried Flick. "Get back!" she then commanded to the Doctor and Rory as she pulled out a gun as defence for the three of them.  
>"You...are...perishable..." repeated the Langhorn once more as it lured the three of them into a little alcove along the walkways between Farringdon and King's Cross St. Pancras. "You...are...perishable..." it said again as all that could be done now was scream...<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>"You...are...perishable..."insisted the Langhorn once more as it closed in on the Doctor, Rory and Flick. She had her gun and the ready and the Doctor now pointed his Sonic Screwdriver at the beast, but neither dared to go any further. All Rory could do was cower in fear, and he knew that was one thing he did very well since travelling with the Doctor. As the Langhorn then readied its claws for an attack, there was a sudden thwack against its legs which came out of the blue. The Langhorn groaned in pain and crouched down to look at who attacked it. The Doctor, Rory and Flick were just as surprised to see who the attacker was.<br>"Ma'am..." greeted Julian with a broken pipe in his hand.  
>"Julian..." said a shocked Flick. "I thought you were dead!"<br>"No Ma'am...never..." he casually replied. The Langhorn was still reeling from its sudden attack and this now provided everyone with a chance to get away. They soon began to run in the direction of King's Cross St. Pancras for one reason alone.  
>"The TARDIS..." said the Doctor. "We'll be safe in there!" he added as they ran. As they ran, Flick noticed how scruffy looking Julian was.<br>"What happened?" she asked.  
>"That <em>thing<em> tried to send me somewhere, but I held off. Hence the torn uniform and dishevelled appearance, Ma'am..." Julian replied. "Nothing a bit of TLC can't fix, Ma'am..."  
>"You don't have to call me Ma'am all the time, Julian..." pointed out Flick.<br>"I know..." said Julian. "I just like to do it...its rather fun!" he added as the four of them ran for their lives.

"How dare they attack me..." roared the Langhorn to itself as it got up. The feeling in its legs still wasn't really there, so it couldn't press forward with the chase. It knew though that those people were there to stop it. This simply couldn't happen. "I have to live..." it cried before slowly making its way after the running pack.

To everyone's surprise, the run back to King's Cross St. Pancras hadn't actually take that long at all, but it had definitely worn them out. The Doctor though, still seemingly full of energy ran straight into the TARDIS with Rory soon following after him. Flick and Julian didn't and elected to take a rest on some seats within the station.  
>"Has that definitely been doing all this, Doctor?" asked an exhausted Rory as he made his way over to the centre console of the TARDIS. The Doctor just had to look to give him the answer. "But why is it doing that?" Rory then asked. "I imagine all those missing people are dead...why did the Langhorn pick them off?" The Doctor just looked over at Rory once more. He hadn't said a word since getting back into the TARDIS and this was worrying Rory a little. "Doctor, what's wrong?" he then asked.<br>"It's a big dilemma Rory..." spoke the Doctor eventually. "The Langhorn only does this because its been told to. Beings high above it in the Universe control them and command them to do as their told. The Langhorn does it to survive. It feeds off the people it creates through these alternate realities until those inside them die. It's doing it to survive..."  
>"So, its survival of the fittest then?" said Rory. "Langhorn vs. the Human Race. Hardly fair is it?"<br>"No..." said the Doctor sadly.  
>"Well, how do you stop a Langhorn?" asked Rory. "You know how to do things like this. Your brain is brilliant at thinking up things like this. Why hasn't it done it yet?"<br>"Because the risks outweigh the benefits..." replied the Doctor glumly. "More will die if we act now..."

"Colonel Jorgensen? Ma'am?" came the fuzzy voice at the end of Flick's communicator.  
>"Yes boys..." she said as she still tried to gain her breath back from the earlier run.<br>"We got the results on your search..." came the voice.  
>"And what were they then?" asked Flick.<br>"Una Corset died 3 weeks ago. Natural causes, Ma'am. Buried five days ago..." replied the voice.  
>"Thanks boys..." said Flick solemnly before turning to Julian. "Una...she wasn't real Julian. Well, the one we saw earlier here wasn't..."<br>"How's that possible?" asked Julian. "We held her hands, comforted her. We saw her Ma'am..."  
>"The Doctor explained it...something about Semi-Ghosts, but they aren't actually ghosts. That beast, that <em>Langhorn<em> as the Doctor called it held an imprint of her and brought her here...even after she'd died. God knows why..." replied Flick  
>"But they say life is like this with the Doctor..." said Julian. "So unpredictable...that's why Captain Benson resigned...because of him."<br>"Oh she did not..." retorted Flick. "She had two kids to look after. They are far more important than UN.I.T can ever be. I wouldn't know, no kids, nothing to show for myself and god knows about you Julian...I don't know much about you."  
>"Well kids aren't going to be a key priority for me and Steve...there's too much paperwork involved anyway. We're happy together as we are..." he smiled.<br>"Well whatever we have to show for ourselves outside of UN.I.T, it means nothing at the moment..." said Flick. "We've got to solve this...but we need the Doctor."  
>"It doesn't look likely though, does it?" said Julian as he pointed towards the TARDIS. Flick then just looked at the magical Blue Box and pondered. She knew that the Doctor and Rory could go at any moment when they were in there, but they hadn't. Why hadn't they? If Flick was in their position, she'd have left as soon as possible, or not even have come in the first place.<br>"The Doctor's got to save us..." she muttered to herself. "...save us from the inevitable..."

Meanwhile, the Langhorn had now approached King's Cross St. Pancras. The feeling in its legs was most certainly back as it readied itself with a gun it selected from its utility belt adorned around its waist. Its fur had hidden the weapon well, so it was both a stealthy and surprising moment for those around the Langhorn.  
>"Humans...are...perishable..." it grunted loudly. Flick and Julian had seen it but were brave and didn't falter at all. They just stood up and let it observe them. It scanned them closely, eyes blinking madly. Its mind was obviously telling it one thing, and its heart was telling it another. Flick then plucked up the courage to speak to the Langhorn. She had to otherwise they could be killed there and then.<br>"Don't you think you've eaten enough lately?" she said to it. "You've got to wait another 12 years, mister...we know how you operate."  
>"You speak with the mind of someone far more intelligent..." grunted the Langhorn. "Those are not your deductions. Someone else worked that all out..." it added looking at Flick all over. Flick knew she'd been rumbled and glanced towards the TARDIS hoping the Doctor and Rory would soon appear. It seemed an eternity before the door of the Blue Box opened and when it did, Flick and Julian sighed with relief. The Doctor and Rory though looked very serious indeed.<br>"Hello Mr. Langhorn..." beamed the Doctor. "Or would that be Mrs. Langhorn...I'm not too sure which gender you are...so I thought I'd cover all bases just in case!"  
>"Mister would be appropriate." grumbled the Langhorn turning in the direction of the Doctor and Rory. It grabbed a tighter hold of its gun, but it didn't point it at them, yet.<br>"Right then, _Mr. Langhorn_..." smiled the Doctor. "I think we need to talk...you know what about..." The Langhorn just stared at the Doctor darkly and then at Rory.  
>"We know your predicament..." said Rory shyly. "We understand why you did what you did, but it needs to stop." The Langhorn just seethed with anger and then pointed its gun directly at Rory. It most certainly didn't like Humans taking authority over it and most certainly didn't like shy Humans like Rory doing that.<br>"No!" said the Doctor. "Point it at me, not him! He's died too often already...its becoming a little bet between me and his Wife when he'll die next. So, just point it at Me!" The Langhorn simply obliged. Rory then relaxed a little but was still nervous at the Doctor now staring at the Langhorn's gun.  
>"What do you mean ''you understand'' my problem?" The Langhorn then gruffed at the Doctor.<br>"We know why you do this..." he replied. "Its a matter of survival...one that comes in some many forms across the galaxies. You let us live, and we'll help..."  
>"Or else...?" grunted the Langhorn as it tightened its grip on its gun.<br>"I kill you stone dead with my Sonic device...its sound will split your ear-drums and you'll bleed from the inside. A slow, painful death." The Langhorn looked on warily but still held onto its gun firmly. The lack of a response was causing the Doctor to lose his patience. "So, which is it Mr. Langhorn..." he then began "..Live...or Die?"


	7. Chapter 7

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>With the Doctor threatening the Langhorn, Flick and Julian couldn't be sure whether the Doctor would seriously fulfil out his deed. Rory however was more certain in his own mind. He knew the Doctor was using this as a ploy against the Langhorn like it had used the Landrossos Crystals against them. If the the Doctor continued to threaten as much as he did, the Langhorn would give in and therefore 'talk things over' as the Doctor wanted to. So, Rory wasn't worried at all. Well he was, but he didn't want to show it and nor did he want to return to Amy to say a <em>Gruffalo<em>-like creature had killed the Doctor because he'd took it that bit too far.  
>"Mr. Langhorn, I would appreciate an answer..." said the Doctor impatiently. The Langhorn just looked on at him with a face which showed a lack of trust, but the threat of death was too severe to ignore. So, the Langhorn put its gun back in its utility belt and gave in.<br>"Let's talk..." gruffed the Langhorn.

"Your leaders, rulers...who are they?" asked the Doctor as he 'officially' began the talks with the Langhorn.  
>"I dare not speak of their name...because I know you will fear them greatly..." came the answer. The Doctor didn't look too impressed. He folded his arms and tutted like a disapproving Teacher, one which with the Tweed Jacket reminded Rory of his old Chemistry Teacher Mr. Oaken. He was a very impatient man and Rory never liked him at all. Mr. Oaken never liked him back, but Rory remembered proving him wrong about his 'apparent' lack of knowledge when he passed the Chemistry Exam and that moment has remained with him ever since. He <em>could<em> prove people wrong, except now wasn't his moment. It was the Doctor's. Looking on, he just let the talks continue.  
>"No names spread fear like the Oncoming Storm..." pointed out the Doctor. "I am the Doctor, the greatest power you will have faced yet. Your bosses don't compare, Mr. Langhorn. You listen to me and we will sort this out for the best, I promise!" The Langhorn just looked up forlornly at the Doctor.<br>"You have to understand that this is a part of my biology. I can't stop what I do!" it then protested.  
>"I doubt that..." cut in Flick. "5, 000 people is the number that UN.I.T estimate vanished over the years on the Underground without explanation. They must all be yours. 5,000 people, 5,000 families affected in one way or another. I hope you understand the severity of what you did."<br>"I do not deny that..." said the Langhorn. "...but they were not random attacks. They were carefully chosen..."  
>"How so?" asked Rory. "There's no correlation anywhere...it was random from what I understand."<br>"It was not! The correlation was simple. The weak and the poor..." gruffed the Langhorn. "...were just some of those selected. Those who wished to escape welcomed me when they saw me. They did not run, they did not scream. They welcomed me. They embraced me." The Doctor just looked on surprised. He could tell that the Langhorn wasn't lying and that was what was puzzling him, why would innocent people just accept their fate like that?  
>"But you took children?" spouted Julian. "Children don't wish to die..."<br>"You have no idea of the damage they had suffered before I stored them elsewhere..." said the Langhorn. "I saved them from a life full of torment. If you knew what they had suffered, you would have done the same in my position."  
>"Like hell I would!" then came the distant, thunderous Glaswegian voice belonging to Derek who now had a rifle at hand. No-one knew where he'd got it from, but it was presumed to be from his office. Flick and Julian immediately tried to calm him down.<br>"Mr. Roughly, don't be daft...do not fire..." said Flick. "This beast is not going to harm anymore!"  
>"Do as she says!" ordered Julian. "Put the rifle down!"<br>"That thing took my Daughter!" seethed Derek as he cocked the rifle. "2 years old...she didn't deserve what happened to her. She'd have been 14 this year!"  
>"She wanted to leave this life..." pleaded the Langhorn. "I could sense it. Like I could with everyone else."<br>"He's right Derek..." agreed the Doctor. "Put the gun down...we can't bring her back, we can't bring anyone back."  
>"Well what was the use in you then?" shouted Derek angrily as he then fired his rifle at the ceiling of the station. Ceiling tiles fell down and dust came with that too. The Doctor simply couldn't reply as the emotion of understanding what the Langhorn had done made him fully aware of his actions once more. He then looked at Rory and saw the issue of taking people with him onboard the TARDIS.<br>"I take people out of their times..." he said to himself as then looked at Rory once more.  
>"But you do it for good, for adventure..." said Rory. "That Langhorn does it for dinner..."<br>"I do it to survive!" retorted the Langhorn. "You ignore what is meant to happen to yourselves...life is not about travelling the stars...its about survival! You live in your own time period. You do not venture into others!"  
>"I can only agree..." said the Doctor. "Although I don't really have a time period of my own, hence why I travel amongst the stars and across time itself..."<br>"But we aspire..." pleaded Rory sensing what the Doctor was suggesting. "Without that, we don't better ourselves. We just get stuck in a rut. I could have stayed a Nurse, a respected Nurse but look at me now, I've travelled across the stars. That Torqui Soldier made a statue of me for my bravery that time! A statue in my honour! A statue for me, Rory Williams! I can't believe it at times with how shy I am! Travelling out there in the stars, Doctor...don't say that's not an aspiration of every 8 year old boy that lurks in the heart of every adult man. It is! So don't deny people of that opportunity!"  
>"You're a good man Rory, but the Langhorn is right. Perhaps this is it. No more company with me. The life I'm accustomed to. The Doctor travelling alone, as it should be." replied the Doctor. Rory couldn't believe the Doctor was seriously talking to him like this, especially considering Amy wasn't here. She wouldn't want to stop travelling with the Doctor, not ever. The Doctor then looked over as the Langhorn got up from the talks, picked up a device from its utility belt and transported away saying one last thing on its way.<br>"I never meant to hurt society, I only meant to survive...can't a being do that, Doctor?"

"Where's it gone..." asked Flick.  
>"Home..." said the Doctor. "Rebelling against its leaders. It may die but it saw the torment it caused here and you could tell it was ashamed of itself. The Langhorn is done here. For good" he added furiously as he pulled against his hair in anger. Rory came to his side to calm him down but the Doctor wasn't pleased at all. He pushed Rory away before pulling at his hair once more.<br>"You can't win every time Doctor..." said Rory.  
>"Oh, I've won Rory..." corrected the Doctor. "I've just condemned that Langhorn to death, that's all..."<br>"But you've saved the lives of many humans as a result!" said Flick angrily. "I think the Human Race is more important here..."  
>"Ofcourse..." sneered the Doctor doubtfully. "Humans go missing all the time. Why do you think me and Rory didn't really see the point in coming here at first? It was nothing out of the ordinary, Colonel. The Langhorn was fulfilling a duty, and now its going to die! Happy with that?"<br>"I'll take this outcome, whether its right or wrong Doctor..." replied Flick returning to her more normal authoritarian commanding tone. "Humanity is very key, Doctor, so don't take the moral high ground over me!" The Doctor could only force a fake smile before saying:  
>"Come along Rory, to the TARDIS." as he began to make his way. Flick and Julian were most bemused.<br>"You can't just leave, Doctor!" said Julian. "What happens next? Is the Underground safe? Are we safe?"  
>"Its time for you to sort that out..." replied the Doctor. "Now, I'm going to do what I was originally going to do a little while ago..." he said as he began to push the TARDIS door open.<br>"And what was that, Doctor?" asked Flick. She couldn't believe how much the Doctor's persona had changed in mere moments and this was changing her whole perception of him. His face yet again told the story. Minutes earlier, he was everyone's mate, but now he could be so many people's enemy – the change was unbelievable. She now understood why so many were wary of him.  
>"Leave..." finished the Doctor as he and Rory then boarded the TARDIS. Within moments of boarding, the whirr of the TARDIS began to roar and erupt and soon it vanished from view. Things were not over yet, but relations were at an all-time low.<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>The TARDIS hummed quietly as the Doctor just sat sullenly on the chair pondering whether his decision to leave was right. Rory didn't say anything as he didn't want to rock the boat, so he just slowly walked round the centre console looking at its finer details.<br>"I wonder who the Langhorn's bosses really were?" muttered the Doctor to himself. "That way I could help save him..."  
>"He left of his own accord, Doctor." said Rory. "He'll be fine...just be like you normally are and 'move on'."<br>"This isn't one of those times, Rory..." sighed the Doctor as he now looked Rory in the eyes. "I never fully 'move on' anyway. I just push it to the back of my mind..." he continued just as the centre console began to make a beeping noise. Rory and the Doctor looked round and couldn't find where it was coming from.  
>"What is it, Doctor?" asked Rory.<br>"Its a beacon..." smiled the Doctor. "A beacon of hope for the Langhorn...its coming aboard!"

Back at King's Cross St. Pancras, Colonel Jorgensen and Captain Albatross were at a loss with what to do. Without the Doctor they weren't sure if the threat was now gone or not, and without that, the London Underground simply couldn't reopen.  
>"Come back Doctor..." sighed the Colonel to herself looking at where the TARDIS was mere moment earlier. "We need you for this..."<p>

With a zap and a flash of bright white light, the Langhorn found itself safely now onboard the TARDIS. The Doctor could only smile at this but Rory was very confused.  
>"How the hell did you do that?" he asked, astonished.<br>"Myself and the Doctor spoke in private, albeit briefly before our 'talks' officially began. This possibility was laid out for me to take. I seized it, and here I am..." replied a victorious sounding Langhorn.  
>"So you left on purpose?" said Rory to the Doctor.<br>"I'm ever such a good actor, aren't I?" he smiled back. "Learnt from the best..." Rory could sense frustration building within him at this, but he let it subside as a voice then began to echo through the TARDIS. A deep, pounding voice.  
>"Come back here..." it demanded. The Doctor looked on at the Langhorn.<br>"Your boss I take it?" he asked. The Langhorn just nodded. "Well, well, well...who is this speaking in my ship without permission then? I could do you for trespassing or technically _voice-passing?_ Is that even a word?"  
>"Well, I don't know..." shrugged Rory. "Ask a Dictionary!"<br>"Will do..." smiled the Doctor. "The Dictionary Planet, its ever so much fun! Must remember that after we've finished with our unwanted visitor..."  
>"You speak like educated Earthlings..." began the voice once more. "...so the nearest equivalent to my title would be the Occupier..."<br>"Occupier of what?" asked Rory confidently. "Is it all those people? Have you got them all?"  
>"No...he hasn't..." spoke the Langhorn. "He is the Leader of the Hoard of Reygoss...they are my bosses."<br>"The Hoard of Reygoss?" said the Doctor wide-eyed. "Well, this changes things then! The Hoard of Reygoss are a speck of hatred amongst the vast Universe..." he then began to explain to Rory with overly-dramatic hand gestures.  
>"Who dishonours the Hoard with words like this?" spouted the voice at the Doctor. He just smiled back and flicked his hair to show off more of his 'acting' skills.<br>"That would be Me..." he said pointing to himself to make it as clear as possible. "And of what celestial continent do you belong to, Occupier?"  
>"The Hoard is my home...and I control them." replied the Occupier.<br>"Oh, I'm not denying that!" said the Doctor. "Being in control of several hated figures like the _'The Copier'_, _'The Possessor'_ and _'The Distorter'_ is an honourable achievement in the grand scheme of things, but here in my TARDIS it is not."  
>"Why would you say such things?" shouted the Occupier. "You dishonour the Hoard and you will sacrifice your life as a result!"<br>"Doctor..." warned Rory. "Be careful..." he added as he wasn't sure what the Doctor was going to do next. Looking on, he just hoped the Doctor wouldn't do anything daft, but the Doctor was always daft. Sometimes clever and daft, but also just daft and even more daft at times. Rory rather hoped he would be clever and daft.  
>"Can't you show yourself, Occupier?" the Doctor then asked. "I would like to see who I am arguing with! Always nice to know! And just to point out, I'm pretty good at arguing. I've argued with the likes of Joan of Arc, Harold Wilson and even Bono...so I know what I'm doing!"<br>"Bono?" quizzed Rory. "Why Bono?"  
>"He forgot to pay me back that £50 the time I saved him being late to a gig! I'm still cross with him at that!" smiled the Doctor back at Rory who didn't seem too impressed. The Doctor thought for atleast one moment his anecdote had impressed his friend but was obviously mistaken. He felt rather awkward now. "So..." continued the Doctor "...can I behold your beauty then or not, Occupier?"<br>"You will not!" it replied. The Doctor pulled a sad face to show more 'acting' but moved on quickly.  
>"Well how about we settle out all this kerfuffle on somewhere that you and the Langhorn know well..." he then suggested. "How about we fight it out on Earth? Or even more appropriately at the station where we just were..."<br>"Fight for what exactly?" rasped the Occupier.  
>"Freedom...freedom to take as many Humans as you want..." smiled the Doctor.<br>"You've got to be kidding!" said Rory. "What are you thinking?" he then asked angrily but the Doctor winked at him and hushed him to carry on the negotiations. Rory just did as he was told.  
>"Your employee, the Langhorn will still do its work and you will still be in control." continued the Doctor. "Sounds fair, doesn't it?"<br>"I will honour your challenge.." spoke the Occupier. "We will fight for our livelihoods!"

Meanwhile, at the station, the Colonel and Captain Albatross were seeing sure that Derek Roughly was taken care of properly and securely. Julian was to stay with him in his office while the Colonel oversaw any little clear-up operations within the station itself. Then, suddenly out of nowhere there was a faint whirring noise. Litter around the station began to move and the Colonel suddenly realised what it was.  
>"The TARDIS..." she muttered to herself. "Oh Doctor, you've come back..." and indeed as the Blue Box began to settle into view and finally come to a halt, out rushed the Doctor.<br>"Flick, we need you out of here! There's something coming, and I don't know what's going to happen!" he said very quickly at her as he got his Sonic at the ready.  
>"I'm not leaving..." she protested. "I'm a UN.I.T Colonel. If anything is to endanger us, I've got a gun, I'm armed and ready for a fight!"<br>"Doctor, what are you going to do exactly against it?" asked Rory as he and the Langhorn then emerged from the TARDIS. Flick just looked on bemused at seeing the Langhorn leave the TARDIS. She was certain it was the enemy, not a travelling friend of the Doctor's.  
>"I'm not exactly sure. I could be very clever and just return them or 'kill them'. I really don't know..." the Doctor replied struggling to think up an idea. He sort of regretted now choosing the station because while it was closed, there was nothing really to make good use of. Then, in a revolving, swirling matter of air came the Occupier. Completely grey in appearance with an equally grey robe around them, the Occupier was devoid of features. It spoke, but there was nowhere to see where it spoke from. It held out its hand and created the whirlwind around itself once more before speaking to the Doctor.<br>"You forget many things, Sir. The final stop is coming for the beast of the rails for instance...What was that meant to mean?"  
>"I don't know..." said the Doctor sarcastically. "Do you?"<br>"It meant me!" retorted the Occupier. "The beast is another term for my name, the Occupier..."  
>"So, it was never the Langhorn doing the work then?" asked the Doctor.<br>"Never!" replied the Occupier before lightning began to swirl around it. "He was a distraction..." continued the Occupier as the wind picked up and lightning flashed everywhere. The station was beginning to be permanently illuminated by the lightning as the Occupier was seemingly drawing power from it.  
>"Doctor, what are we going to do?" shouted Rory to the Doctor as the whirlwind began to drown out every other noise.<br>"Hold on!" he replied. "Things are about to get very interesting indeed!"


	9. Chapter 9

DOCTOR WHO: THE FINAL STOP

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>As the two sides stood facing each other unsure of what was to happen next, the Occupier built up power even further. The whirlwind and lightning dominated all around them and all everyone else could do was look on amazed as the strength of the featureless being.<br>"You appear to have underestimated me somewhat..." he gloated as the power around him intensified. The lightning too grew stronger and was now directing itself in the direction of the Langhorn, the Doctor, Rory and Flick. The Doctor, the Langhorn and Flick atleast were armed with something during this fight, but Rory was without any form of a weapon and he feared this the most. He'd rather had enough of dying after several 'instances' on his travels with the Doctor, and he wasn't prepared to die again, not now.  
>"If you carry on like this, Occupier..." shouted the Doctor. "You know it can only mean one thing..."<br>"That I win?" it laughed before using the whirlwind around itself against its opposing enemies. The Occupier directed the whirlwind at them and blew them off their feet, all except the Langhorn. The Doctor, Rory and Flick went flying and landed with a crash. Dazed and confused, Rory got up to see the Doctor unresponsive. He rushed over immediately and found that he was unconscious. For now, the Doctor was out of action. Rory tried to wake him, but it was no use. Flick meanwhile had got back up and back into position with her gun firmly pointing at the Occupier.  
>"No point in trying that again, mister..." she warned. "UN.I.T has a much bigger presence than you'd think!"<br>"Its doubtful..." laughed the Occupier as lightning scattered around everyone. Rory now had to protect himself and took the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver as his defence. He'd seen the Doctor use in numerous times and once or twice he'd used it himself, so he knew what he was doing, sort of. Meanwhile, the Langhorn was readying itself for the key moment. Parting some his fur, he revealed a box on his arm that blinked quicker than the human eye. No-one else had seen this before and the Langhorn smiled on at the Occupier for revealing it.  
>"What is that?" asked Rory as he joined the front-line.<br>"That is my Duo-Sensesphere Module." explained the Langhorn. "Its my link with the Occupier..."  
>"We share mind patterns, but I occupy the most..." added the Occupier. "Hence the name..."<br>"But if I short-circuit it or brake it altogether, I know what happens..." warned the Langhorn as it then pointed its gun at the Module. The Occupier could only laugh.  
>"Suicide? Really?" he chortled. "I expected higher of you...since you're a part of me..."<br>"That's the point though..." replied the Langhorn as Rory and Flick then realised what the Langhorn meant.  
>"Oh..." smiled Flick. "If he's a part of you and he then dies...what happens to you?" The Occupier didn't reply. It just glared back.<br>"Would you die? Or would a bit of you?" said Rory. "Because if its a little, I'm sure this device could fluctuate that somewhat." he added making a clear point of the Sonic Screwdriver.  
>"If he dies..." began the Occupier. "I live on, regardless of sonic technology and however rudimentary it is."<br>"Let's see about that..." said the Langhorn. He quickly ushered Rory and Flick to a safe distance before readying himself with his gun. His last words before he shot his gun were simple. "Send love to all the Langhorn's...family or otherwise...goodbye!"

The gun shot from the Langhorn caused something similar to an Earthquake and soon popping into view from the distance was Captain Albatross and Derek Roughly, now without his rifle. They were stunned like everyone else. The Langhorn now beamed a bright white in colour as energy from its Module escaped into the atmosphere. The Occupier was stumbling with a decreasing sense of power as the lightning and whirlwind around it became slower. Flick then made her way closer and nodded at Rory who selected a familiar setting on the Sonic Screwdriver and then powered it at the Occupier. Its green glow beamed out and caused a ripple of energy with it. The energy caught the Occupier right in its midriff and from that it began to shrink in both size and power.  
>"What is that?" cried out the Occupier. "How can something be so powerful?"<br>"Because it can be..." smiled Rory. "Its a Sonic Screwdriver...it is very powerful!"  
>"And so is a gun!" smiled Flick before firing at the Occupier to weaken him even more. Her gun echoed loudly as the Occupier then dropped to the floor.<br>"You cowards..." it cried. "You have killed a way of life..."  
>"You killed over 5,000 people..." spouted Flick.<br>"So, it was always going to come back at you!" added Rory as he blasted the final, fatal blow. In that moment, both the Occupier and Langhorn then disappeared as they were engulfed in a bright white light. When that vanished, there was nothing left of them. There was nothing to say they even existed. In the background, a woozy Doctor woke as the whirlwind and lightning ceased to a halt to see everyone happy. As his eyes adjusted he saw no sign at all of the Langhorn or the Occupier.  
>"Oh, well done..." he said before passing out once more.<p>

A little later when the Doctor was fully back with everyone he explained fully what happened.  
>"That Sonic blast, brilliantly executed by Rory hit the Duo-Sensesphere lodged within the Occupier. It killed him stone dead." he said as he patted Rory happily on the shoulder. "The only issue is that with both the Occupier and Langhorn gone, the memories of those taken have faded away."<br>"How'd you mean?" asked Rory. The Doctor then used Derek as an example to everyone.  
>"How's your Daughter, Derek?" he asked plainly.<br>"I don't have a Daughter..." replied Derek. "Two boys, no Daughter..."  
>"How's that happened?" asked Flick. "He's forgotten her..."<br>"The Langhorn's work has been eradicated from time." began the Doctor solemnly. "Those who vanished under it over the years will still have vanished, but those close to them will have forgotten all about them. Pictures, belongings and whatnots of theirs will still remain, but there will be a question of who they are..."  
>"That's terrible..." said Rory. "What about us and the Press though? We'll still remember about them..."<br>"We will..." replied the Doctor. "The Press won't...like everyone else, the memories are to fade...by tomorrow morning, they'll be gone. We, at the heart of it will remember, always..."

As the clear-up operation began to take pace and other UN.I.T soldiers came to help out the Colonel and Captain Albatross, the Doctor and Rory saw it as their time to leave.  
>"I think we best be off..." smiled the Doctor to Flick. "Don't want to outstay our welcome..."<br>"You could never do that, Doctor..." she smiled back before giving the Doctor a hug. "You know, I always thought if I ever got the chance to meet you, you'd be odd, manipulative and just a control freak, but you proved me wrong..."  
>"He's definitely some of them from time to time..." joked Rory. The Doctor just gave him a jokey punch on his arm. It did actually hurt but Rory didn't mind too much.<br>"Well, both of you have been excellent today. It'll be another couple of days before we open the Underground once again, but without you, we wouldn't have got this far..." smiled Flick before giving a goodbye hug to Rory like she'd done with the Doctor. "Who knows, we may see one another again!" she then laughed before saluting the Doctor and Rory on their way. As they entered the TARDIS, she braced herself for her last look at its magnificence. Then, as it whirred into life and began to vanish before her, Flick just smiled knowing that life as a Colonel can be very good indeed.

The TARDIS hummed quietly as the Doctor and Rory just sat down and waited to arrive in Leadworth. For Rory, the day had felt good but strange all in one go. For the Doctor, it had just been another day at the office. He then just looked over to Rory who he could see did look very shattered by it all.  
>"Rory Williams…" he then said proudly. "The Nurse from Leadworth…saves the world by being bloody idiotic and on the verge of sacrificing yourself by doing that with my sonic."<br>"Well you were going to do the same before you were knocked out…" Rory pointed out.  
>"That's true, but it's just odd seeing you transform in the way you have. It's not unusual for that to happen with people around me, but you just stand out." the Doctor smiled towards his friend. Rory blushed and was thankful of some praise for once from his bow-tied friend. Amy always took the centre of attention when it was the three of them, but he was glad of something from the Doctor for once.<br>"Will UN.I.T keep in contact with you do you think?" Rory then asked. "Give you the latest on the Underground."  
>"No need…" the Doctor said simply. "Flick moves to the Paris branch shortly while Captain Albatross and his soon-to-be husband will be off for a while with their adopted son. Life moves on Rory. I think I even wanted to adopt at one point."<br>"Don't you already do that technically?" Rory asked. "You take people onto the TARDIS, nurture them, make them stronger and then let them go live their life some time later."  
>"You make a good point Nurse Williams." the Doctor smiled as he went over to hug Rory. As they hugged, the Doctor just kissed Rory on his forehead. Apparently, the Doctor believes a forehead kiss is much friendlier.<br>"So long as that's the only place you kiss me, it's fine…" Rory said nervously.  
>"I'll ask if it's going to be anywhere else for future reference…" the Doctor smiled. Rory looked on confused.<br>"And why would you be doing that?" Rory asked.  
>"Well you never know. You may need the kiss of life again if you 'die' once more or if were just drunk again." the Doctor laughed.<br>"We've kissed?" Rory said as he pulled a big frown.  
>"We were drunk!" the Doctor explained. "Everyone was! Don't worry, it shouldn't happen again…" Rory just sat back down again but the Doctor just came over and patted him on the shoulder.<br>"You are joking aren't you?" Rory asked.  
>"Of course…" the Doctor smiled. "We've kissed much more than that once, and we were sober too!" he then joked as Leadworth neared on the TARDIS. Rory knew that the Doctor lies and could tell that this was a lie. Well, he hoped it was, otherwise he has random bouts of amnesia without realising…<p>

When the TARDIS arrived back in Amy and Rory's back garden, it was the day after they'd departed. As he exited out of the door, Rory could see Amy in the Kitchen looking much better. He made his way in before picking her up in a big hug before giving her a kiss on the lips. Rory hoped she wasn't still ill, but Amy assured him otherwise. The Doctor looked away at that moment knowing that Rory did miss Amy a lot, so he let it pass by. Amy then rushed over to the Doctor and gave him a big hug too.  
>"How you two been then?" she asked quite jollily. "My Boys? My Beefcake and my Best-mate? Crime-fighting? Alien-busting? Pint-drinking?"<br>"Well, we solved the mystery of the 'issues' at the Underground if that's what you mean, Pond..." said the Doctor simply as he straightened his Bow-Tie. "Infact, it was actually Rory who saved the day..." he added as he smiled at Rory. Amy didn't believe him though in the slightest.  
>"Yeah, of course, but what did <em>you<em> really do to save it all?" she asked looking at the Doctor. He then explained but winked at Rory as if to say it'll be their secret on how he saved the day since Amy would never believe him. The three of them then just sat down in the kitchen for a while and chatted on a variety of things. Aliens, chips, shoes and somehow who wears what kind of pants crept in too but the three of them were just glad to be back together.  
>"Right!" said the Doctor as he slammed his fist on the table. "Where next?"<br>"Bed…" said Rory simply. "I need sleep…"  
>"Oh, but I've been bedridden for the last day…" said Amy. "I want to do something a bit more fun!"<br>"Well, whatever you choose, can it involve me getting some sleep in the process?" Rory asked sleepily.  
>"We'll see…" said the Doctor as he and Amy went out to the TARDIS. Rory eventually followed and once inside, everything felt back to normal as the TARDIS trio were now reunited and back in action...<p> 


End file.
